Better this Way
by JnnLuvsU
Summary: Daniel and Vala talk.


"Better This Way"  
by: JnnLuvsU

Summary: Daniel and Vala talk.

Disclaimer: They are not mine.

Vala dreaded the conversation she was about to have. Everyone had been so kind since she had come back to Earth. Everyone except the one person she had wanted to. Daniel had been aloof at best since she'd returned, and as much as she hated him for that, she still knew that he deserved to know. Steeling her resolve, she reached up and knocked on the door.

Daniel heard the knocking on the door and stood up, wondering who it could be. He walked to the door and opened it. He raised his eyebrows at the sight of the person on the other side, "Vala, what are you doing here?" He looked around, "How did you_ get_ here?"

Vala hugged herself, "Sam dropped me off. She'll be back in a little while. Can we talk?"

Daniel was surprised. She had convinced Sam to drive her here? Something definitely wasn't right. He nodded, "Uh, sure," he said, stepping back to let her enter. He followed her into the living room, "Can I get you something to drink?"

Vala sat down in a chair in the room and shook her head, "No, I'm fine." She lapsed into silence, looking around the room. The room screamed Daniel and some of the artifacts he had on the shelves appeared valuable. She smiled slightly, no wonder he'd never brought her here.

Daniel saw her looking around, "So, Vala, what did you want to talk about?" he asked.

Vala avoided his question and gaze. Looking around, her eyes fell in an item on one of his bookshelves. She stood up and walked over to it, picking it up. "_She_ had one of these," she said.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that she was talking about her time with Que'tesh, and Daniel decided not to comment on it. He did however, walk to her and place the item back on the shelf. He didn't want her to break it. Apparently, she wasn't going to start talking any time soon, and Daniel was starting to get worried that something was very wrong. He was starting to get nervous. He turned to her, "So, I hear that General Landry offered you a job," he began, trying not to let it show how excited he was that she was staying, "Congrat..."

"I'm leaving Daniel," she interjected softly, walking down the shelves, looking at his books, still avoiding looking him in the eye.

Her soft declaration effectively cut him off. This was not something that he had been expecting. He stood there looking at her for a moment as she walked around the room looking at his artifacts, "What?" he stuttered, weakly.

Vala continued to avoid his gaze, "I'm leaving Daniel," she said softly. She stopped and turned to him, looking him in the eye for the first time, "I've come to say goodbye."

He held her gaze for a mere few seconds before she turned away and picked up something from his shelf. He cast around for something safe to say, forcing himself not to take her and shake some sense into her. Anyone could see that he didn't want her to leave. He finally settled on, "When?"

Vala sat back down in the chair, now cradling a photo album. She flipped through pictures of a young Daniel, then some of SG1, "I'm going to talk to General Landry when Sam brings me back to the base. I was going to talk to him earlier today, but..." she trailed off as she came to a picture of Daniel, Cameron, Teal'c, and herself playing basketball. She remembered that morning, the fun they'd had.

This was driving Daniel crazy, but he held off from asking the one question he wanted to know the answer to, "But," he prompted her, wondering why she was putting off answering him. Could it be she really didn't want to leave?

Vala shook her head to rid herself of the memory. Thinking of good memories would only weaken her resolve. She steeled herself, "Sam suggested I talk to you first," she said, still staring at the picture before her.

Daniel couldn't take it any longer, "Why?" he asked. He knew from the look on her face that it was the wrong thing to say, and wondered what he'd done wrong. She looked hurt and offended.

Vala stood up, "Well, I don't know." She walked to the door, "And apparently you could care less, so I think I'm just going to wait for Sam outside."

Daniel did some fast thinking in his head, and realized his error. He ran to her, reaching her just before she walked out the door. He spun her around, "That's not what I meant," he said, shutting the door. "I'm glad Sam said you should talk to me. I was asking why you were_ leaving_?"

Vala shrugged, sliding from his grasp, heading for his kitchen, "I don't fit in here. I try to ignore it and make it work, but that fact keeps rearing it's ugly head." She picked up the book she'd abandoned on her chair and placed it back on the shelf.

"But..." Daniel stuttered, "you fit in fine here. Well, even. You annoy most people, but we still _like_ you."

"Could have fooled me," Vala muttered under her breath before walking back towards Daniel. "I had hoped for a reason to stay, but, it's time for me to move on. You want me out of your hair, I know."

Daniel opened his mouth to respond, but was cut off by a horn beeping outside.

Vala put on a smile, not wanting to show Daniel the pain she was in. "Well, that's Sam. I'll be off." She hugged him, hurriedly wiping her eyes. She pulled back and opened the door, "Goodbye, Daniel," she whispered, and then she was gone.

Vala practically ran down the sidewalk, part of her hoping that Daniel would come rushing after her, but most of her knowing that he wouldn't. She got into the car next to Sam and took one last look at the house next to her.

Sam was disappointed; she had hoped she wouldn't be taking Vala back to the base, but that Daniel would finally come to his senses. That didn't seem to be the case, however. "How did it go?" she asked.

Vala looked out the window, "Fine."

Sam could tell by the tone in her voice that she didn't want to talk about it, but she risked asking one last question, "What did he say?"

Vala shrugged, "Not much," she said, "I didn't really give him much of a chance to say anything."

Sam shot her a glance before looking back at the road, "But I thought you _wanted_ him to tell you to stay," she said, confused.

Vala turned to her and gave her a weak smile, "It's better this way, Sam."

"How is this better?" Sam asked. She really wanted Vala to stay; she needed the support from another woman, especially since Janet's death. She, Cameron, and Teal'c had all asked her to stay, but she held out.

Vala looked at her, "I don't want him to want me to stay out of pity, Sam," she sighed. "The truth is, if I were to stay, I'm afraid I'll just continue to get on his nerves. I really don't want him to resent my presence any more than he already does."

Sam sighed, "But, Vala..."

Vala cut her off, "Sam, please, just drop it," Vala said, wiping her eyes.

"He cares about you, Vala, he just doesn't know how to express it," Sam reassured her.

Vala shrugged, dismissing her statement.

"So where will you go?" Sam asked, pulling into Stargate Command.

Vala got out of the car, thinking. She fell into step beside Sam, "Home, I think. It's time for me to go home."

"Where's home?" Sam asked, using her ID to get them in the base.

"A little planet called Elermi. When Que'tesh took me away from my home, I vowed never to go back. I didn't think I could face my family again. It's been a long time," she said, pausing in the control room, "It's time for me to go back."

Sam nodded, handing Vala a device and a piece of paper. "This is an IDC. If you ever need help or just want to visit, you can type this number in, dial this address and we'll open the iris for you."

Vala was moved, "Thank you," she whispered, hugging the other woman. When she pulled back Cameron had moved to stand next to Sam. Vala smiled. She and Cameron had developed a bond by being the two outsiders when she'd first come to the base. Vala gave him a tight hug, trying to stop the tears, "Remember, Cam," she whispered, "Hard to get."

Cameron chuckled softly, "Be careful," he said, letting her go.

Vala looked at the two people in front of her, "Take care of my Daniel," she said and turned to General Landry, "General, I appreciate everything you've done for me. Thank you." She wrote some symbols down, "Here, this is the address. She looked around the room, "Goodbye, everyone." She left the room and walked into the gateroom.

Vala stood at the foot of the ramp as the wormhole opened. Teal'c stood beside her. He smiled at her, "Goodbye, ValaMalduran. You will be missed."

Vala hugged him warmly, "Goodbye Teal'c," she said and walked through the event horizon, her heart breaking a little more with each step.

The End.  
Author's Note: I know that this was a horrible ending, but Daniel treated Vala like crap when she first came to the SGC and I felt this would be more realistic than ignoring that.


End file.
